


Bluer skies, a Brighter Day

by Two_Divided_by_Zero



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pining, War philosophy, chess nerds, post-Revelations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-06 07:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6745114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Two_Divided_by_Zero/pseuds/Two_Divided_by_Zero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day that Takumi stopped hating Nohrians was the day lightning struck the same place twice.  He honestly believed it would take a miracle.In the end, all it took was a few years.  </p><p>And maybe a tiny miracle named Leo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 17-19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written for this fandom before, much less written in a long while. This was supposed to be a drabble just to shake the rust off a bit, but it kind of ran away with me. It'll be split into two parts and I should be posting part two fairly quickly.
> 
> I apologize for the rambling on philosophy in advance.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoy!

_When he was 17, Takumi had never hated anyone as much as he hated the Nohrian royal family._

* * *

Takumi didn’t know who Corrin thought was fooling by calling this mockery of a strategy meeting a ‘family get together.’ It was no doubt her attempt at lightening the mood, but it fell woefully flat.

Corrin, his beloved sister who shared his blood - his hair color (or was it her hair color since she came first?) - and made him feel just a little less like an outlier in his own family. Corrin, who had loved him equally and actually made him feel like he deserved to be cared about. 

When she had returned to Hoshido, to her rightful family, it felt as though everything might one day be alright. Not perfect, never perfect again, but alright. 

Now she was truly gone from them, lost to Nohr, and he was alone. Again.

The Nohrian prince Xander, the future heir to the throne, looked far better suited for the life of an aristocrat that a warrior. Takumi was thankful that only Ryoma had to shake his hand; he imagined it to be quite similar to touching a dead fish. Weak willed and soft spoken, Prince Xander was not exactly instilling any confidence in his Nohrian comrades.

The princeling looked no more fit for combat than his air-headed elder brother. Nothing meriting a second glance there.

(Years later, Takumi could appreciate the irony of dismissing Leo as inferior to his elder brother the same way he had been discriminated against his entire life. The realization stung, but that wouldn't sink in until the future.)

Princess Elisa could have been almost tolerable if she wasn’t so infuriatingly insipid. This was a war, not a tea party. He glared at her across the table as she whisper-shouted Sakura over the table.

‘They have no shame,’ he sneered internally, frowning at the disgusting display put on by the elder Nohrian princess. She draped herself like a limpet over Corrin’s shoulder, cooing and caressing like a lover instead of a sibling. It was disgusting; _**She**_ was disgusting. Takumi wanted to tell her to put some actual armor on to cover her ample chest, ask if she was a princess or a harlot.

But that would require talking to her and talking to someone meant acknowledging their existence. He remained silent.

So distracted was he by Princess Camilla’s...display, he didn’t notice Prince Leo rise to his feet.

“There are a few homes on the outskirts of the forest, not nearly close enough to be considered in the town proper. We could use the trees for cover and set up camp in the woods. If we set up entry control points into base, post sentries, we’ll be fairly safe for a period of a few days. We’ll use the settlement as a buffer zone in case of attack. Any invader would be forced to destroy their homes to reach us, which will be a time consuming undertaking. In the meantime, we’ll have plenty of advance notice to plan our own attack.”

Wait. What?

“So,” he began slowly, enunciating clearly as though he were speaking to a small child, “what you’re suggesting is that we just allow them to traipse into the village and destroy people’s lives for the sake of an upper hand?” Was anyone actually considering such a ludicrous tactic?

“You’re not even letting me fin-”

“Brother, you can’t honestly be giving this… this satire of a battle tactic any thought?”

A quick glance over at Ryoma showed that he was indeed giving this proposition more consideration than it deserved. Takumi wanted to yell at him just then, ask what happened to his pride and love of his countrymen.

The younger Nohrian prince scowled, a much more fitting expression for such an ugly existence. “It’s a necessary evil. If we don’t lure them in closer, we will lose all the benefits of cover from the forest. Against a force of that size, our entire army will be decimated. Is that what you want, prince?”

“We’re not just going to allow people's’ homes be decimated just to gain an advantage in a fight. Brother, you can’t seriously be thinking of allowing this?” He pleaded with Ryoma, figuring that Corrin was already too mired in Nohrian filth to be worth reasoning with.

“There is a certain amount of cost benefit analysis required in war. If we truly hope to stave off the intruders, then certain acceptable losses are an inevitability.” The Nohrian prince did not know when to keep quiet. Smug whelp had the gall to smirk at him even.

“See?!” He gesticulated wildly, hair whipping behind as he turned to face the rest of his family. Real family. (Unlike this amalgamation of Nohr bastards.)

“Takumi.”

“They’re talking about our people like they’re expendable! ‘Acceptable losses’? ‘Necessary evil’? Who are they to play god with our people, with our lives-?!”

“Sit _down_ , Takumi!”

That wasn’t a request from his brother; that was a demand from his future king. And fuck if his pride wasn’t stinging to Valla and back.

Yet another reminder that no one cared what he thought about politics. He was the second prince, the weakling who elected to fight with a bow instead of on the front lines, where real men were made. The one who no one would give the time of day to if not for his royal blood. (Gods above knows he had overheard the servants echoing that sentiment enough throughout the palace his whole life, even when they knew full well he could hear.)

Prince Leo almost looked reticent across the table. ‘ _Good_. He should be.’

One of Prince Leo’s retainers caught his eye from across the room. The fool had the audacity to throw a saucy wink his way. Only a reassuring smile from Sakura kept him from leaping over the table and gouging the rogues other eye out with a well aimed shot from Fuujin Yumi.

That and it would be a waste of the blessed regalia.

If winning the war against the invisible kingdom meant working together, well…

Nohr’s ragtag army of misfits was lucky to have their support and that was all he’d say on the matter.  


* * *

__

_At 18, Takumi experienced his first assassination attempt by a Hoshidan._

* * *

The bowl of rice at breakfast may as well have been full of maggots instead for how appetizing it looked. Wriggling, writhing maggots that would undoubtedly squirm in his belly before maturing into repulsive flies.

Takumi felt like vomiting. (If he did, would they see they see wings?)

While his retainers watched from afar, muttering to themselves and glancing with concern in his direction, the other servants flocked to their younger prince.

They told him he needed to eat. They told him to return to his room and rest, _no doubt that would make you feel better? After a little rest, breakfast will no doubt look a little more appetizing._

Doubtful.

He didn’t want to return to his room and rest. Returning to his room, returning to the scene of the (almost) crime, would mean reliving everything. 

_It had been that exact moment between dusk and dawn, when the night was at it’s darkest without a moon in the sky. There’s been a shuffle, softer than leaves in a breeze, before the _shick_ of a knife quite literally cutting through the air- _

(His mother used to tell him that nothing in his nightmares could hurt him, but now she was gone and apparently that rule didn’t apply anymore.)

In the midst of his thoughts, Takumi didn’t notice the hush that fell over the room.

He didn’t notice anything until Prince Leo took a very deliberate seat next to him.

As he waited for the ridicule that would no doubt follow, Takumi was reminded of the lore of the Sword of Damocles. 

Like a pendulum, it swung back and forth over his head, waiting for the precise moment to fall and strike him dead.

Finally, Leo spoke. “I heard about what happened.”

Takumi flinched, curling in on himself slightly. Of course a Nohrian would bruise his pride when he was at his most vulnerable.

“I brought you something.”

Hinata and Oboro moved closer, no doubt wary of any sort of gift their former enemy might bestow on their liege. It was almost comical the way their faces fell when Leo revealed a knife from a holster at his hip.

It was too exhausting to argue right now. “Forgive me, but I fail to see how a simple knife will do anything to deter an attacker.” Beyond possibly sending them into a fit of laughter.

“It’s not just a knife.” Leo’s tone was soft, delicate. “The blade has been imbued with wind magic. 

“Wind magic?” He took the knife, ready to flinch away should this be a trap (another trap). The blade twinkled in the sun, no doubt sharpened to deadly sharpness, but - “how is wind magic going to protect me?”

(Protection. Takumi had never needed to consider the possibility of an attack off the battlefield, much less by one of his own kinsmen, before. At first, Takumi had wondered why, if this would-be assassin was so upset with Hoshidan royalty, that they would target him. Surely the death of Ryoma, the crown prince and future king, would be a much more meaningful death? It was with a sickening sense of self-deprecation that he realized the truth; everyone _loved_ Ryoma. No one loved him. Royalty was royalty and, in all honesty, his death would probably be more meaningful than his life.)

“Meet me after lunch on the fringes of camp,” Prince Leo stated before reaching out to curl his fingers around the hilt of the blade. “Bring Oboro and Hinata if you would like.”

It was with some reluctance that Takumi found himself standing in front of Prince Leo later that day, watching as the other set up a table with a sizeable melon on it. Oboro maintained her frown, but Hinata was watching with poorly masked interest.

Takumi vaguely wished to be anywhere else right now.

Prince Leo held out his hand, curling his fingers in a _gimme_ gesture. Takumi was dimly aware of reaching down to his own waist to free the knife before handing it off to the other.

The knife was promptly stuck into the middle of the melon (what a waste of perfectly good food while people in his country were starving), before Prince Leo turned to address him.

“Now, I already mentioned the wind magic contained within this blade.”

(Leo talked softly and steadily, as though to a skittish animal. Takumi felt like vomiting all over again.)

“The hilt of the knife is hollowed out to contain a chamber of compressed wind magic. This opening,” he gestured to a small hole at the tip of the blade, “allows that magic to escape once you embed it in something. The air inside is not only extremely pressurized, but also below freezing temperature. Once released, not only will all internal injuries near the entry point freeze instantly, but...well…”

In an instant, the melon exploded (imploded?). Seeds and meat and rind covered the area, falling in sloppy piles. 

While Hinata made a noise of astonishment, Takumi noticed Prince Leo flicking fruit off of his clothing. It was a futile effort; there was too much of a mess to be fixed without a proper bath.

Even when he turned to address Takumi with a small smile, a glob of fruit dribbled through blond hair. “It’s my own design and one of a kind.” The smile faltered as a wad of pulp trickled down his hairline between his eyes. Takumi nearly laughed when Prince Leo went cross-eyed, swatted the glop away, and continued in that warm tone of voice. “Rest assured, Prince Takumi. It will keep you safe.”

And Prince Leo smiled so kindly, Takumi couldn’t help but smile timidly back. 

_Prince Leo wanted him to be safe._ The idea would take some getting used to.

‘Luckily, we have time.’  


* * *

__

_Takumi was 19 when he realized he had never had as great of a friend as Prince Leo._

* * *

“In the past,” Takumi murmured absently while he studied the chess board, “Hoshidan generals were taught the theories of a just war. That is, when two culturally similar enemies enter combat, they often form a tacit agreement regarding rules of combat that must be followed.”

“‘Culturally similar…?”

“Mmm, in that they share religious beliefs, race, language or even just similar values. When the enemy is viewed as sharing a moral identity with your own country, there tend to exist mutually agree upon rules of combat. Not only that, but these unspoken guidelines dictate exactly how politics should be handled in the aftermath of war. Ah-!”

With a flourish that was veering towards unnecessary, Takumi picked up his bishop. A slight ‘clack’ signaled the capture of one of Leo’s knights.

Bf8xd6

Without skipping a beat, Leo delicately slid a pawn diagonally onto the same square Takumi’s queen previously held.

c4xc5

“...dang it.” It had to be a testament to how much he’d matured over the years, not throwing a tantrum over such a stupid oversight on his behalf. He didn’t want Leo to think him immature anymore. Leo’s opinion _mattered_.

“But what if they aren’t ‘culturally similar,’ as you stated before?”

“Hmm?” Takumi had been busy staring at the board, formulating some way to eke out a victory without his queen. Maybe the bishop in conjunction with a rook…? “Oh, well… then war conditions are rarely created. Just war only applies when a combatant shares that common bond and could foresee doing business together once more in peacetime. When you view an enemy as “less than human,” he grimaced, “cutthroat tactics were found to be more prevalent because neither side put any thought into future relations. Really, their theory is mutually beneficial; it prevents any sort of underhanded tactics and weapons that may perpetuate a cycle of vengeful acts, harmful both politically and socially to both nations.”

Finally, he spotted a move that would be a perfect set-up for checkmate and sufficiently innocuous. 

Nd4-f3

It was Leo’s turn to look perplexed. ‘No doubt overthinking every single potential scenario that may result from a single move.’

Takumi smiled indulgently, watching the cogs turning in Leo’s brilliant mind. Truly, he never could have imagined one day discussing old war philosophies over a Nohrian game with the younger prince he formerly despised. Life works in miraculous ways sometimes.

When it became obvious that a counter move wasn’t immediately forthcoming, Takumi continued. “There are three parts of the just war theory. _Jus ad bellum_ , the right to go to war, has seven components: just cause, comparative justice, competent authority, right intention, probability of success, last resort and proportionality. The second, _jus in bello_ , refers to proper conduct in war. It is composed of distinction, proportionality, military necessity, fair treatment of prisoners of war and no means _malum in se_. The last-”

Na4-b6+

“The last?” Leo prompted with a small smile., no doubt amused by his current predicament. “Check, by the way.”

(Truly, Takumi also never thought there would ever be a day when Prince Leo could look upon him with anything other than contempt. Even a tiny smile lit up his entire countenance; Takumi greatly enjoyed seeing such a happy expression on his _friend’s_ face.)

Kc8-d8

It was a rather uninspired move, if he did say so himself, but Takumi was electing to prioritize offense over defense in this case. As long as he prevented checkmate, his assault would continue.

Nb6xa8

Takumi was not surprised in the slightest by Leo’s next move. Dismayed, but not surprised. 

“The last..?” Leo prompted again, this time waving the captured rook in the air - ‘ _smug little_ …’

“The last is _jus post bellum_ , or-”

“Justice after war?”

Leo chuckled at the dark look Takumi shot him before making a shooing gesture with his hands. “I apologize. Please, continue?”

Bh5-g6

The board gave a slight rattle from the force used to place his bishop back down. Leo gave a rather undignified - _unprincely_ \- snort, which he tried to cover by lifting a hand over his mouth.

Takumi smirked.

“I’ll continue, but only because you asked _so nicely_.” He paused to laugh at the put upon expression Leo’s face adopted. “As I was saying before being so _rudely_ interupted-” a faux glare was directed at Leo, “- _jus post bellum has five factors_ : just cause for termination, right intention, public declaration and authority, discrimination and, once again, proportionality.”

“Do you think your generals of old would have considered our war a just war?”

A hush fell over the room. The war had become a taboo subject, like an old box of clothing in the attic that would sooner be eaten entirely by moths than be worn again. Often thought of, but never mentioned aloud.

_Until now._

“I apologize. Please forget I ever-”

“I do.”

Leo peeked up from the board to meet Takumi’s eyes. “You do?”

“Believe it was a just war. I do.”

At Leo’s prolonged silence, Takumi fidgeted slightly in his seat. “It’s your turn.”

That did the trick. “Oh, it is, isn’t it?”

Rh1-g1

‘Leo must be distracted, else he wouldn’t have made such a pointless move.’

“You know,” Leo began slowly, deliberately, “Nohrian miltary officers are taught that there are three primary factors of war.”

Takumi recognized a diversion when he saw it. Leo, second prince of Nohr, was actually trying to tactfully change the subject to avoid distressing him further.

He regarded the other prince with a fond look. 

(The Takumi of two years ago would never have looked at _Nohrian scum_ with such a kind expression. _Hell_ , the Takumi of a year ago still had issues quelling the knee jerk reaction immediately disliking anything Nohrian.)

“Oh?”

“Fog, friction and chance.” There was a slight emphasis placed on the last word, an added _hiss_ in ‘chance,’ that prompted an involuntary shiver. Takumi broke eye contact, feeling oddly bashful.

He took the chance to make a quick move. ‘Don’t notice, please don’t notice and let me win for once.’

Rh8-e8

Leo took his silence to be tacit permission to continue. “The so-called ‘fog of war’ refers to the uncertainty associated with participating in any form of a war. Though, some military leaders in the past have taken it too literally.” Leo chuckled softly, no doubt remembering some outside joke to which Takumi remained on the outside, before continuing. “It was said of fog that, ‘all action takes place, so to speak, in a kind of twi-light, which, like fog or moonlight, often tends to make things seem grotesque and larger than they really are.’” Now, friction refers to physical restrictions to military actions. If a bow string snaps-” now it was Takumi’s turn to snort, “-or a staff breaks, this could be attributed to friction.”

When Leo paused to make his move, Takumi startled slightly. He had been listening so intently, it was easy to forget they were in the middle of a game. It was just _so nice_ to finally have someone to discuss this with.

Qh4xh6

It took all of Takumi’s (admittedly dwindling) self-control to not give a bark of laughter. Brilliant though he may be, Prince Leo must be slipping if he didn’t spot such an obvious set up. 

“The last is chance.”

The oddly reverent tone of Leo’s voice caught Takumi completely off guard, allowing the rook to slip from his fingers and clatter to the ground. 

(There was that funny little _hiss_ again. _Chance. Chansssse_ )

It was completely illogical to be blushing. That did nothing to stop the pink from suffusing his cheeks.  
( _Chance_ )

Leo chose not to comment on his little fumble (to which Takumi was eternally grateful for), before continuing. “Chance refers to all outside factors of which we have no control over that can sway favor in a war. Some simply choose to refer to it as ‘luck’.”

So close, victory was so close. All Takumi had to do was move his rook and-

“Luck - chance - whatever you want to call it, I am eternally grateful to have had the chance to not only meet you, but to get to know you as well.”

Re8-e1#

“Ch-checkmate.” 

(He hadn’t stuttered in _years_ , not since those awkward years of skulking in shadows to avoid being spotted by the royal advisors, being recognized as ‘the cowardly younger prince, always standing on the fringes of his elder brother’s shadow’ and under no circumstances could such a _weakling_ be allowed to ascend to the throne-)

“Hmm?” It was oddly flippant, the way Leo regarded the bishop that prevented any escape on c1 with half a glance. “So it is. Congratulations, Prince Takumi, and thank you for a great game.”

As Leo gathered the piece together and folded the board back up, Takumi couldn’t help but feel like he had missed something important.

Ignorance did nothing to quell the blush tickling his ears a bright red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The knife Leo made is a real weapon used by scuba divers to kill sharks. The compressed air also has the effect of pushing the target up to surface level of the water before any bleeding can occur. Also, the air contained in the knife is essentially the size of a basketball.
> 
> All the philosophies on war are actually real war theories that you can research more, if you'd like. I'm sorry if they spent an inordinate amount of time nerding about war theory.
> 
> Thank you again for reading! Expect part two soon!


	2. 20-22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments on chapter one! Each and every one brightened my entire day! Thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to read my fic!
> 
> Here's part two, as promised!
> 
> Hopefully you all enjoy (and hopefully I did their characters justice).

* * *

_The first time someone sincerely calls his hair ‘lovely,’ Takumi is 20 ._

* * *

_It had started as a simple enough sparring match. The new recruits for the Hoshidan army were being taught combatives and it was tradition that Takumi would make time to spar with a couple._

_‘General’ may have been a title he earned through blood, but he didn’t intend to stand idly by and act solely as a figurehead. ‘Lead by example,’ as they say._

_Though most of the moves were highly choreographed to prevent injury, the recruits were allowed an occasional hard spar where they were allowed to put forth 60% effort. Most of them heeded the rule; grappling pairs were immediately split apart when one tapped out, separating to shake hands and compare techniques._

_Takumi got the one upstart who felt he had something to prove._

_As soon as their time started, the kid immediately took a swift kick at Takumi’s shin. 60% effort should not hurt as much as it did. Fortunately, the kick left his stance wide enough that Takumi was easily able to sleep in and knock him to the ground._

_That was his first mistake._

_Rather than follow what he’d be taught, the boy (because really, that’s all he was at 16 years old) reached up and physically_ yanked _at Takumi’s knee until he stumbled to the ground as well._

_His second mistake assuming this instance of foul play was a one off occurrence._

_Takumi swiftly grabbed his opponent’s right wrist with his left hand before pulling his arm in such a way that the boy’s elbow was pointed upwards. Thankfully, he seemed to have the upper hand in terms of strength; the boy was not sitting idly by and allowing him to win without a struggle._

_He then threaded his free arm under his opponent’s elbow to grab his own wrist on the opposite arm. Slipping behind his opponent was effortless._

_From this point, it should’ve been a clear victory; Takumi would ‘paint his opponent’s back’ with his wrist, putting pressure on his shoulder and elbow joint. He would be forced to tap out, at which point Takumi would give him a verbal lashing for clearly **not** abiding by the rules set for hard sparring._

_Pain exploded in the back of his head. Someone was shouting, but all he was aware of was his face suddenly being ground into the dirt._

_(Idly, he thanked whoever had the foresight to suggest placing their headbands in their mouths as makeshift mouthguards; the shock could have caused him to bite his tongue off)._

_Everything looked oversaturated, _so bright_. It was as though every color was magnified in intensity by tenfold and it was beginning to make his eyes sear. _

He must have fainted at some point because the next thing he was aware of was being bedridden with Leo seated next to him.

When Leo smiled at him, his own face reflexively smiled back. 

“Did you enjoy your nap?”

“Not particularly. I dreamt that you were actually respectful of my ideas and open to suggestion.”

“Cheeky. You must be feeling better then.” All traces of a smile suddenly abandoned Leo’s face. “How is your head feeling?”

“My head?” He blinked slowly, marveling as the world slipped in and out of focus.

(He would later blame his slowness on the fact that he had sustained a head injury and Leo truly was an ass for making fun of him in such a state.)

Leo wove his fingers gently through the loose strands at the back of his hand. The skin was unexpectedly tender.

“Did he...pull my hair?” 

“Indeed. And here I was thinking that Hoshidans were far above such ‘underhanded, dishonourable tactics.’”

“I should just cut it,” he spoke mournfully, threading his fingers through his now-frayed pony tail. “I should. Did you know it’s a symbol of honor amongst Hoshidan warriors to have long hair? All it has ever been a symbol of is how much different I am than Ryoma…”

“Takumi…”

“It used to make me feel unique. _Special_. Then, as I got older, I realized it didn’t make me special; it just made me _weird_ -" 

"Takumi-”

“I know their opinions shouldn’t matter. _I know that_. Still, there will always be a part of me that sees my hair not only as one more difference between myself and Ryoma, but now also a liability.”

**“That’s enough.”**

Leo looked at him with complete understanding and Takumi was reminded once again of how _grateful_ he was that fate or chance or _whatever_ brought them together. No one would ever understand him as well as Leo.

What seemed like hours passed before Leo spoke again.

“Your hair is lovely; don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” This was said with such a straight face, there was no way his words could be anything but fact. 

The sky is blue, grass is green and Takumi’s hair is _lovely_.

Pink pleasure suffused his cheeks. “...Alright, I won’t.”

* * *

_When he is 21, Takumi remembers being told that crushes are terminal._

* * *

Hoshido was having a festival to celebrate King Ryoma’s birthday. Truthfully, it was a rather transparent excuse; the whole country was relishing peace and looking for an excuse to celebrate its recovery. If not the king’s birthday, the people would have found some other justification for celebrating.

In the past, Takumi would’ve probably called it frivolous and a waste of time. In the present, he was eagerly dragging Leo down a stretch of vendors’ stall, cheerfully pointing out various attractions.

Festivities began early in the day, but the princes both agreed that they’d rather avoid the crowds during the day when they are more likely to be recognized.

“It’s best a night anyways,” Takumi reasoned, his speech slurring together in excitement. “Everyone lights lanterns and we’ll even have fireworks! Have you ever seen fireworks before? Apparently, someone thought to combine basic fire spells and minerals to create these colorful explosions and-!”

Hinoka had eventually shoved her uncharacteristically chipper brother and the other prince out of the castle, claiming that all of his chattering was giving her a headache. Ryoma smiled indulgently at his beloved family’s antics and wished them a good evening.

Which is how the two princes found themselves weaving through stalls and dodging festival goers. 

It was nice being able to walk through the streets and not be followed by whispers. There was an occasional, ‘isn’t that Prince Takumi with Prince Leo?!’, but nothing ever came of it. They remained unbothered as they tried various snacks and chatted with vendors.

A certain table ended up drawing Leo’s attention, causing him to drag Takumi over in the middle of his lengthy explanation of Hoshidan music (“Hoshidan music is typically written in a major key and- LEO!”)

Ignoring a moping Takumi, Leo poked a delicate, lavender lily. “What is this?”

“It’s a flower made of paper,” Takumi huffed, still a little put out about being interrupted. “Do they not have this kind of art back in Nohr?”

Leo looked at the flower with a kind of reverence that caught Takumi’s attention. “Father never really placed much value in the finer arts, unless they were highly valuable…” 

“I can’t imagine. F-father” - he still choked up a little, even years later - “always encouraged us to pursue whatever inclinations we had, artistic or otherwise. Believe it or not, Hinoka is quite skilled in paper crafts.”

Leo paused. “...Truly?”

“She once made me a dragon the size of my palm for a birthday present. She ended up stepping on it later that day, though.”

The ensuing bark of laughter caught even the vendor off guard. “Of course she did!”

The next time Leo reached down, it was to pick up a scarlet hummingbird. Even Takumi had to admit that it was rather lovely, especially if it brought a smile like that to Leo’s face.

“There’s a legend in Nohr about hummingbirds that I was always particularly fond of.” Leo deemed that moment appropriate to tickle Takumi’s ear with a delicate, scalloped wing. The yelp that followed had him muffling laughter into a closed fist.

Takumi drove his heel down onto Leo’s toes. All laughter immediately stopped as Leo was the one to yelp this time. _Good_ , he hoped it hurt. Ass.

(Okay, he did feel a little bad watching Leo’s face screw up into a wince. Only a little though.)

The bird was placed back down at the stall and Leo began hobbling off (and now he felt _really_ bad; the conviction that Leo deserved it dying down).

“Leo?”

Leo paused and turned, at which point Takumi gave a sigh of relief. The other was smiling, clearly not as upset about the affront on his poor toes as he had acted.

The two managed the wade through the crowd and find a good vantage point before Takumi remembered. “You said there was a legend in Nohr about hummingbirds?”

Leo hummed lightly in acknowledgement. “So I did.”

“How does it go?” He was genuinely curious. ‘Does Nohr even _have_ hummingbirds?’

Both unconsciously scooted closer together in the grass, tuning out the rest of the festivities.

“It’s said that long ago, the world was bright and full of life. This was back when all the continents were still connected.”

In the soft light of the lanterns, Leo’s face was flushed with eagerness (at it so often went when he got to share part of his culture with his best friend). It was cruel; Takumi wanted nothing more than to take his hand at that moment. _Take his hand and never let go and_ -

Leo was looking at him expectantly and oh dear, he was spacing out wasn’t he? His cheeks itched, no doubt flushed with shame, and he wanted nothing more to apologize (or maybe mention how very much he would enjoy hearing this story whispered against his lips instead-).

All he ended up managing was a small hum to acknowledge he was still listening.

Seemingly satisfied, Leo nodded to himself. He raised a hand to point at the sky and Takumi mourned another opportunity lost. “This was before the time of man, mind you. In any case, all the animals of the world lived in prosperity until, one day, an argument broke out.”

“No one knew exactly what had started it; maybe it was the snakes in their never ending schemes, or perhaps the peacocks and their boundless pride? In any case, the gods grew displeased with the quarreling and chose to punish the animals by literally blanketing the world in darkness.”

“The animals attempted to put aside their differences and make a plea to the gods to remove the veil, but the gods remained deaf to their pleas. For years, the animals toiled in darkness and suffered.”

“I can see why you’d enjoy a story such as this,” Takumi interjected dryly. Truthfully, he was fully enraptured in Leo’s storytelling ability, but his pride would never allow him to admit it.

“Hush you,” Leo chided in a fond tone. “In any case, this went on for years before the animals decided that they could not continue to live like this. All creatures, great and small, convened to try and come up with a solution. At first, the larger animals dominated the gathering.”

A child squealed with delight at winning a game nearby, not that either party noticed, so enraptured with the story.

“‘Using my great strength, I’ll leap off the giraffe’s back and rend the darkness with my sharp claws,’ the lion suggested.” Leo adopted a posh accent and squared his shoulders, no doubt trying to emulate the character he was describing. Takumi snorted with laughter, prompting a smile. “Of course, the lion wasn’t able to leap anywhere close to high enough. To the laughter of others, he eventually gave up. Next, the raven spoke up. ‘With my great wings, I’ll fly high into the sky and tear it down.’ The raven flapped and flapped his great wings, but was exhausted well before he reached the sky.”

“Finally, from the very back of the crowd, the hummingbird piped up. ‘Let me try,’ it plead, ‘I can fly higher and faster than any other creature here!’ Of course, this was met with nothing but laughter and jeers. Undeterred, the hummingbird flew high into the sky and was able to reach the darkness without becoming fatigued. With its tiny beak, the hummingbird began poking holes into the blanket to allow the light to shine through.” Leo paused to trace a constellation with his finger. “These holes became the stars. At one point, the hummingbird’s beak became stuck in the fabric. It began to flutter its wings wildly and eventually, it was able to rip a large hole out and free itself; this became the moon.”

“When I was a child, I always found myself drawn to that story. The fact that something so small was capable of something so great always gave me _hope_.”

At that moment, Takumi _understood_ all too well exactly what Leo was alluding to. That desire to take his hand was becoming harder and harder to quash down.

And suddenly, the strange solemnity that had fallen over them was broken. Leo refused to meet his eyes, no doubt flustered for having revealed such a secret. 

It was only fair then to reveal one of his own. 

“Th-there’s actually a legend we have about the paper cranes they were selling back there.””

Leo gave him a look of such gratitude that Takumi was stuck momentarily mute. Curse his foolish heart for skipping a beat. “Ah, well the legend states that if a person were to fold a thousand cranes… nevermind, it’s a childish thing to believe in.”

(It was with a great deal of self-loathing that Takumi thought of the chest in the storage room. The one that was no doubt mouth eaten and possibly mildew-y from the spring humidity. Queasiness, remembering the six-hundred and forty seven cranes. _‘I want to surpass my brother.’ ‘I want revenge on my father’s killer.’ ‘I just want my sister back.’_ )

“Tell me.”

“W-well, it’s said that the person who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted one wish, no matter how impossible.”

“ _What did you wish for?_ ”

His hair smacked Leo’s smug face from how rapidly he turned to face the other. It shouldn’t come as such a shock that Leo knew; they truly were alike. “N-none of your business!”

“Ha! It figures!” Leo chuckled and Takumi wanted nothing more than to stomp his toes all over again. There would be no guilt whatsoever. ‘Smug bastard.’

“Oh yeah? Well, what would **you** wish for?! Assuming you had the tenacity and dedication to even make it to one thousand.”

In some storybook turn of events, the first firework lit up the sky before the other prince could respond. Without its light, Takumi doubts he would’ve been able to see the fondness in Leo’s gaze as he smiled serenely.

“That,” he whispered, “is a _secret_.”

The conversation naturally died as the sky lit up with color.

(That night, for the first time since he was a child, Takumi began folding cranes again. And if his hands shook a little more than usual, _well_ …

No one said they had to be perfect.)

* * *

_Takumi is 22 when he almost beats Leo at chess_  


* * *

Once again, Takumi found himself sitting behind the black side of a chess board. It was a spring in Hoshido and the Nohrian royal family chose to convene in castle Shirasagi to discuss opening trade routes. Both countries’ economies had finally _FINALLY_ recovered from the war enough for such plans to become feasible. It was with open arms that the members of the Hoshidans royal family welcomed their Nohrian _friends_.

Wisely, no one decided to comment on the dopey grin Takumi felt spread across his face at the sight of familiar black armor. 

It had been a week since they arrived and the two princes were rarely apart from each other. Whether it was sparring in the field or crowding over books in the library, it was generally assumed that if one was spotted, the other was not far behind.

(Camilla had cooed at them both over dinner one night, resulting in Hinoka accidentally flicking a clump of rice into her hair. Takumi couldn’t deny the childish the childish thought of ‘serves you right!’)

Spring showers had relegated both princes to stay inside today, which prompted the appearance of a shogi and chess set. 

Of _course_ Leo got his way and the chess board was set first. He had spewed some nonsense about how a good host would accommodate their guest’s wishes.

Idiot, as though Takumi could deny him anything.

Which is how he found himself contemplating which defense to use while waiting for Leo to make a move. ‘Assuming he opens with queen’s knight, I can counter with…’

e2-e4

‘Well, that was...underwhelming.’ It wasn’t like Leo to open with such an… _uninspired_...opening move. He normally favored the unexpected, preferring to keep Takumi on his toes. 

Well, if _that’s_ how he wanted to play…

e7-e5

“King’s pawn? Really?”

“So says the one who opened with the same move!”

That earned an eye roll and a tiny smile.

Nb1-Nc3

What was Leo playing at? “Leo…?”

“Hm?”

“What are you playing at?”

“What do you mean?”

Maybe he was overthinking it… but then again… “That was a terrible move and you know it.”

Leo barely glanced at the board before turning to gaze outside. “I wonder when the rain will let up?” His tone was oddly lofty.

Something was wrong. “Leo-”

“It’s your move, Takumi.” Ever the picture of tranquility, Leo turned back to smile at him.

Momentarily flustered, Takumi grabbed his bishop.

Bc8-Bc5

Fine, if Leo wanted to play this game, he could too. In fact, he’d play it better!

Bf1-Bc4

Enough was enough. “Leo!”

“Yes?”

“Are you even trying? Take me seriously!”

That at least drew a small chuckle from Leo. “I assure you, Takumi, I am taking you quite seriously.”

Takumi scoffed and cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so? Then why are you making moves that even a toddler could counter?”

As if to prove a point, Takumi snatched up his queen and dropped it back down.

Qd8-Qf6

It was such an obvious ploy; there was no way Leo couldn’t see what his plan was. The only thing that could make it any more obvious would be to announce, ‘mate in one.’

Takumi wasn’t sure why this whole situation was making him so _frustrated_. There was just something about seeing Leo make such obviously ill thought out moves with that stupid, _handsome_ smile on his face that just drove him up the wall.

‘It must be the rain. Something about the pressure shift is getting to you. It’s just the rain. _It’s just the rain_.’

Nc3-Nb5

‘It’s not just the rain.’

“I would like to court you.”

 _What…? **What?!**_ “What?”

It was astounding that his voice could crack that badly on a single syllable word. Leo would normally have teased him mercilessly…

Normally. _Normally_. Nothing about this was normal.

Undeterred by Takumi’s silence (and spot-on impression of a fancy goldfish, gaping mouth and bulging eyes and all), Leo smiled softly. “I’d like to formally court you, that is, if you’d have me.”

(Takumi thought of the now eight hundred-something cranes in the box. Still well under one thousand.)

Leo reached across the table and took the hand that had been hovering over the black queen, turning it over gently and massaging his palm. If the fact that Takumi’s hands were now completely saturated with sweat bothered him, it did not show on his face at all.

Takumi had never envied Leo’s glibness so much as he did at that moment; there were so many things he wanted to say (so many variations upon the word ‘yes’), yet his tongue was fat and useless in his mouth. It was a miracle he hadn’t choked on it yet.

“You know,” the other murmured, “I considered asking Ryoma for his blessing to court you. I even had a speech prepared; Elise insisted I practice in front of her for hours on the carriage ride here.” He paused to snicker softly. “She does a rather impressive impression of your brother, I must admit. Anyways, I digress; I had a speech prepared and even requested a meeting with him shortly after we arrived. In the end, I couldn’t do follow through. Do you know why?”

“Why?” It was odd, how breathy his voice sounded just then. 

“Because in this matter, as in all things,your opinion is far more valuable than that of your brother.”

(His own brother _the king_. There was significance in that statement, significance that was not lost on him.)

“Why?” ‘Foolish, _traitorous_ tongue. **Now** you decide to work properly.’

There was no hesitation. “Because no one will ever make me as happy as you do.” Simple, succinct and so sweet. 

“Where is all this coming from?” 

That was the exact opposite of what he wanted to say. Regret instantly washed over him, making Takumi want to smack his head into the boa-

“Where? Hmm, well…” Leo’s spoke _sotto voce_ , but with such warmth. “I suppose it’s coming from the me of four years ago who fell in love with your smile. Perhaps the me of two years ago who only ever wanted to make you happy.”

A hand reached across the table to hold his own and Takumi marvelled at the tiny tremors he felt. Though his face belied nothing but confidence, Leo’s hands trembled and fluttered near imperceptibly in his own. A thumb caressed his knuckles and if he had died then, it would’ve been with happiness in his heart.

Leo’s smile trembled a little, though it was hard to see from the sheepish way he ducked his head. It was a moot point; his bright red ears betrayed his embarrassment.

“Or maybe it’s coming from the me ten, twenty, _fifty_ years from now. The me who is a better person for - no, _because_ \- of having you at my side.”

Lips touched his knuckles then and Takumi knew he was lost. It would figure his heart would meet its end at the hands of a Nohrian.

In his haste to reach Leo and kiss that timid, happy little smile away, Takumi accidentally jostled the chess set. 

(The black king toppled over. Neither of them noticed.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference:
> 
> Takumi is using an actual jiu jitsu submission at the start of the chapter. 
> 
> The legend that Leo cites about the hummingbird and the moon is an actual legend, though I did alter it slightly (due to my own inability to remember the story verbatim). I did my best to maintain the original gist of the legend.
> 
> As far as the chess game is concerned, there are two notable points.  
> \- had Takumi moved his queen at the end, Leo would've lost to what is known as "fool's mate." It can either refer to a two move checkmate, or more commonly, any loss that occurs within the very first moves of the game. It is named as such because this type of loss only occurs when a player is playing 'foolishly.' Leo was so worried about Takumi's answer that he basically fell for the most embarrassing checkmate possible.  
> -Takumi accidentally knocks his king over at the end. For those who don't know, whether it is an accident or not, tipping your king over is forfeit in chess. Hench, he ALMOST beat Leo in the last game. (I'd imagine that Leo never lets him hear the end of it.)
> 
> Thank you once again for reading and any likes or kudos are greatly appreciated!


End file.
